Cancer is one of the most feared diseases in the world today. Almost every family has been touched by it in some way.
For many years, people have been told that certain habits can raise the risk of cancer, such as smoking, eating unhealthy food, drinking too much alcohol, or spending too much time in strong sunlight.
At the same time, doctors also know that cancer becomes more common as people grow older. This has left many people wondering which matters more — the way we live, the aging of our bodies, or simply bad luck.
A new study by scientists at Yale University is helping to answer this important question. The research looked closely at changes in our DNA, which is the genetic code inside every cell of the body.
DNA acts like an instruction book that tells cells how to grow and work. Over time, small mistakes can appear in this code. These mistakes are called mutations. Most mutations are harmless, but some can cause cells to grow out of control and form cancer.
The researchers studied 24 different types of cancer to see where these harmful mutations came from. They wanted to know how many were linked to preventable causes like tobacco smoke or ultraviolet rays from the sun, how many were caused by natural aging inside the body, and how many happened randomly with no clear reason.
This was not easy, because cancer usually develops slowly over many years, and many factors can be involved at the same time.
To solve this problem, the team created a new way to measure how strongly each mutation pushes a cell toward becoming cancer. This allowed them to estimate the role of outside influences compared to the body’s own internal processes.
Their results showed that some cancers are strongly connected to things people can control, while others are more closely tied to aging and natural changes inside the body.
For example, skin cancer was found to be strongly linked to exposure to sunlight, especially ultraviolet radiation. This explains why people who spend a lot of time outdoors without protection have a higher risk.
Bladder cancer was also closely tied to outside factors, including chemicals from cigarette smoke. On the other hand, prostate cancer and certain brain cancers appeared to be driven mostly by aging and changes that happen naturally in cells over time.
This discovery matters because it helps doctors and health officials know where prevention can make the biggest difference. If a cancer is largely caused by lifestyle or environmental exposure, then education and protective measures could prevent many cases.
For instance, encouraging people to stop smoking, wear sunscreen, or reduce exposure to harmful chemicals could save lives. In jobs where workers handle dangerous substances, safety rules and regular health checks could also reduce risk.
The findings also show that not all cancers can be prevented, which is an important message for patients and families. Sometimes, cancer develops even when a person has lived a healthy life.
This can happen because aging itself increases the number of mutations in cells, and some of these changes are simply random. Understanding this may help reduce guilt and confusion for people who are diagnosed despite doing everything right.
Scientists say this research is only the beginning. The study focused mainly on certain kinds of DNA changes, and future work will look at other complex genetic problems that may also lead to cancer. As knowledge grows, experts hope to design better screening tests to detect cancer earlier and develop more personal prevention plans based on each person’s risks.
In the long run, studies like this could change how society fights cancer. Instead of treating all cancers as the same, doctors may be able to predict which ones are more likely to be prevented and which ones require early detection and new treatments.
This clearer understanding offers hope that fewer people will develop cancer in the future and that those who do will have better chances of survival.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that low-carb diet could increase overall cancer risk, and new way to increase the longevity of cancer survivors.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how to fight cancer with these anti-cancer superfoods, and results showing daily vitamin D3 supplementation may reduce cancer death risk.
Copyright © 2026 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
